In the tense days leading up to the U.S. military strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear sites, the White House and Republican congressional leaders coordinated a strategic messaging campaign to rally support and maintain a unified stance on Capitol Hill, according to CNN.
Emails circulated between June 14 and 17 reveal a deliberate push to reinforce President Donald Trump’s hardline position on Iran’s nuclear ambitions. One such email, sent to congressional offices on June 17 with the subject line, “POTUS has made it abundantly clear; Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon,” included statements from Trump and testimony from General Michael Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, asserting that Iran was dangerously close to nuclear capability.
The military action has come at a steep human cost. According to Iranian state media IRIB, at least 627 people were killed and nearly 4,900 injured between June 13 and June 25 during the conflict between Israel and Iran. The Iranian Health Ministry said that 86% of the deaths occurred immediately at the scenes of Israeli attacks.
Despite early U.S. intelligence assessments suggesting that the strikes may have only temporarily disrupted Iran’s nuclear program, President Trump dismissed those conclusions during a NATO summit press conference on Wednesday. “They didn’t see it. All they can do is take a guess,” Trump said, insisting the facilities were “obliterated.”
He also criticised media coverage of the strikes, accusing outlets like CNN of “demeaning” the U.S. military operation and demoralizing pilots involved in the mission. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed Trump’s defense, calling skepticism over the impact of the strikes “an insult” to military personnel.